|
|
Monaco SRA President Dr Bruno Fissore
with the finalists |
 Monte
Carlo Classic
2005
07-12 Nov, Monaco, $31k |
12-Nov, Final:
[1] Vanessa Atkinson
(Ned) bt [4] Madeline Perry (Irl)
9/2 9/5 9/7 (42m)
|
 "I
knew that Vanessa had been playing well all week and it was
going to be tough.
"I got a little tired in the end but I cannot complain."
Madeline Perry |
Berrett aids Perry
 "I
am tricking myself by pretending that these matches are not
important, and it is working.
"I am just happy to be on court and if somebody is good
enough to beat me then that's fine.
"I didn't really have a game plan today, but Madeline is
strong mid-court and so I knew I had to try not to feed her
there.
"I just go out and play now, I don't want 50 thoughts in my
head."
Vanessa Atkinson |
|
Atkinson
beats her Demons
WISPA reports from Monaco
In the aftermath of her Monte Carlo Classic semi final victory
Vanessa Atkinson had bared her soul about the demons that had
been affecting her this year. Only a couple of months after she
won the World title last December her head began to swirl with new
forces which had completely changed her outlook. Now, instead of
arriving at a championship thinking one match at a time, to use
soccer manager parlance, her mind was already focusing on the
latter stages of the event.
 It
was now clear from what she said and her free flowing semi final
performance that not only had she recognised this, but was
successfully reverting to a more pragmatic approach. However, her
opponent Madeline Perry had exceeded her own expectations
in reaching the last day so would not be entering the fray with
any degree of fear. The stage was set for a good match to
celebrate the tenth staging of the Classic.
Atkinson had been unsuccessful in the qualification of the very
first event, runner up in 1999 and favourite this time. The world
number two based in The Hague certainly set off fast, forcing
Perry down the channels then to hurtle towards attacking boasts.
Atkinson was winning the manoeuvring battle; more often able to
engineer a winning shot to end high quality rallies that were
delighting the spectators who had filled the seating. This took
her to the first game on a 9/2 scoreline.
 Marcus
Berrett, Perry’s past coach at Halifax had missed the semi finals
by quite a wide margin after driving up from his new base in
Milan, but was now in her corner between games. His mentoring was
helpful, but only to the extent that the Irish number one created
more opportunities to finish rallies. Sometimes from the front a
drive was effective, but a few times too often the pressure being
heaped onto her forced her to reduce the margin and hit the tin
instead. After 28 minutes the second game was wrapped up 9/5 by
Atkinson.
In what proved to be the final game Perry was still fighting
strongly, and a combination of the knowledge that this may be her
last chance with tiredness becoming a factor, led her to fling in
a few outright attacking shots. Two such overheads buried into the
forehand front nick not only drew gasps from the audience, but
took the Irish challenger to a 6/4 lead. This was whittled back by
Atkinson, who continued to move forward relentlessly, picking up
Perry's drops and caressing them across the front of the court
into the side wall. She progressed to match ball at 8/7, went in
short and was relieved to see the pouncing Perry send the ball
towards the lights off the top of the tin. The Monte Carlo Classic
title was hers after the forty two minute encounter.
Having worked out her demons, the odds on her retaining her World
Open title a few weeks hence will surely have shortened
considerably.
|
 |
11-Nov,
Semi-Finals:
[1] Vanessa Atkinson (Ned) bt [3] Tania Bailey (Eng)
9/4, 9/4, 9/7 (45m)
[4] Madeline Perry (Irl) bt [7] Alison Waters (Eng)
10/8, 9/3, 9/7 (52m)
|
|
Perry's
Support Pans Out
WISPA reports from Monaco
Last night Alison Waters had spoilt Jenny Duncalf’s birthday
by squeezing past the second seed into the Monte Carlo Classic semi
finals, but would she founder against the resilience of fourth seed
Madeline Perry?
Both players had their mothers on hand combining the touristic
pleasure of Monaco with the agonies of watching their daughters
compete. But tonight Perry had drafted in reinforcements in the
shape of Marcus Berrett her ex-coach at Halifax and now the
resident pro at the Poly Club in Milan who was driving to the
Principality.
 Perry
had the bolstering thought of a win against Waters in the Qatar
Classic almost exactly a year ago, but for Waters the boost that
that match had been a 3/2 and she had made significant progress
since then.
Both players got into their stride early without the edginess that
can accompany early exchanges. The blend of judicious attack along
with solid work down the flanks was proving more effective for the
Irish 28 year old who took an early lead.
However, despite having to stretch long on the backhand side where
volleys so often were not possible, Waters was gaining an attacking
momentum of her own with deft flicks interspersed with the heavy
driving. The blend eventually enabled the 21 year old to overhaul
Perry and stand at 8/7 game ball. A Perry killing forehand snuffed
out the chance before she collected the opener herself with a
forehand clinger.
 The
pattern endured as the match progressed. Quality defence, openings
being sought and both players having to work way round the rev
counter. However, the difference in the second game was that Waters
appeared to be trying to force he issue a little too much. Errors
were creeping in, the tin became a feature more often and Perry had
only to maintain composure to take an easier set.
Waters reverted to more durable rallying in the third and the high
quality encounter reached seven all before another lengthy rally
ended with Waters finding the top of then.
The resulting match ball was converted with a volley drop and the
Irish holder of two WISPA Tour titles this year was through to her
third…..and all done without the Berrett cavalry which didn't appear
over the hill until after the match was over. Still, he was in very
good time for the final!
So, Waters senior can relax but Audrey Perry has one more match of
helplessness to endure! |
Atkinson Back
On Song
[1] Vanessa Atkinson (Ned) bt [3] Tania Bailey (Eng)
9/4, 9/4, 9/7 (45m)
The second semi final would determine how deeply gouged the
confidence of the World Champion has become. Only two months ago
success in the Seattle Open would have carried Vanessa Atkinson
to top spot in the WISPA rankings.
 She
missed out then, and since has chalked up early exits in the British
Open and Carol Weymuller Open to Waters and Isabelle Stoehr. Her
outing against on-song Tania Bailey would be a pointer
towards the extent of the blip. Bailey, now aged 26, has managed a
year free of layoffs and her good health has led to her climbing
back into the top ten. Now at eight, she is within clambering
distance of the fourth slot she held in early 2003 after successes
such as reaching a British Open final.
The form guide is notoriously unreliable, but Bailey had Atkinson’s
scalp at the Qatar Airways Challenge earlier this year, and indeed
has reached the last four in her last three events.
 It
turned out to be a high tempo match with Atkinson clearly determined
not to have to play catch up. The first game was quite well
contested but the Dutchwoman was more able to make the tee her own,
dominating the front half and ensuring that Bailey was having to
spend most time visiting the rear corners.
The first was won when she moved away on a raft of pummelling the
drives and cutting the volleys.
The second was more of the same, and as the third progressed there
was no sign of her letting Bailey take the initiative from her.
Rallies were punishing but even though Bailey was stepping forward
more Atkinson was just maintaining enough control, helped by
eventual Bailey errors. A crucial one at seven all gave Atkinson
match ball, which she converted after a rally which took both
players towards exhaustion and Bailey flapping at air.
So Atkinson, commenting that she is currently thinking of just one
match at a time, has one more to think about, and this one is a
final!
|
 10-Nov,
Quarters:
Mum's the Word in
Monaco Quarters ...
WISPA reports from Monaco
The seeded players had migrated south for the Monte Carlo Classic and
found the sun shining outside and success on the court…so far. The top
eight had come through the first round, and now in the quarters the
challenges were stiffer.
Two players had mothers in attendance to watch the play, and maternal
support was good for both though bad for the hearts of the mums! Audrey
Perry was the more happy one, as Robin Waters had to endure a
final game which went to 10/9!
|
QUARTER-FINALS:
[1] Vanessa Atkinson (Ned) bt
[6] Isabelle Stoehr (Fra)
9/2, 9/0, 9/2 (24m)
[3] Tania Bailey (Eng) bt
[5] Annelize Naude (Ned)
9/0, 9/3, 4/9, 9/1 (41m)
[4] Madeline Perry (Irl) bt
[8] Laura Lengthorn (Eng)
9/3, 5/9, 9/5, 9/6 (75m)
[7] Alison Waters (Eng) bt
[2] Jenny Duncalf (Eng)
9/7, 9/1, 6/9, 10/9 (56m)
Alison Waters,
Madeline Perry, & Mums
Bailey & Naude
Vanessa Atkinson
Alison Waters |
Perry Outlasts Laura
[4] Madeline Perry (Irl) bt [8] Laura Lengthorn (Eng)
9/3, 5/9, 9/5, 9/6 (75m)
Laura Lengthorn, one of the England team trio on court that won the
World Junior title in 2001 (the others being Duncalf and Waters), is at a
career ranking high of eighteen, but then so is Madeline Perry, now
at eleven.
The Irish number one employed her technically sound and neat game to good
effect in the first, and although behind in the already long second after
a couple of forehand drop errors, she was regrouping at six all when a
deeply grazed knee meant a few minutes' break for the bleeding to be
staunched and dressing applied.
That game was lost while the gripping bandages were on her mind, but they
held up, as did her game, and she managed to battle home in four games in
one hour and a quarter. However, having raced to a 5/0 lead in the fourth,
Perry allowed Lengthorn back into the tie as she loosened her grip before
the endgame was reached with her having no less than eight match balls.
Four were saved with nicks, and Perry regained serve four times with nicks
of her own!
 Asked
about the injury Perry said 'It was a good sign that I was lunging! I
wasn't focused for a short while afterwards as I knew if the blood came
through I would be in trouble, but once I got it together again I was
reasonably in control but it was tough”.
|
Bailey Breaks it up
[3] Tania Bailey (Eng) bt [5] Annelize Naude (Ned)
9/0, 9/3, 4/9, 9/1 (41m)
Tania Bailey, in the second match of the evening, was cruising towards
a semi final slot until a light came on in Annelize Naude’s head,
her game was remoulded and for a while she challenged. It lasted
throughout the remainder of the match but points became hard to come by as
the strength of Bailey became more of a factor.
As she commented afterwards, Naude had not played Bailey for a few years
and that was a factor early on. 'She caught me by surprise and I played
her game for a game and a half. But I was happy that I was able to change
my game and mix it up a bit and break her rhythm”.
|
No sweat for Vanessa
[1] Vanessa Atkinson (Ned) bt [6] Isabelle Stoehr (Fra)
9/2, 9/0, 9/2 (24m)
Bailey's semi final opponent will be top seed Vanessa Atkinson who
brushed off the challenge of Isabelle Stoehr without fuss or
needing top gear. While the French girl bustled round the court she
couldn't deal with the solid simple game employed by the Dutchwoman, but
played at a fast pace.
|
Waters spoils Jenny's party
[7] Alison Waters (Eng) bt [2] Jenny Duncalf (Eng)
9/7, 9/1, 6/9, 10/9 (56m)
The final pairing was second seed Jenny Duncalf [happy birthday by
the way!] against seventh placed Alison Waters. The lower seed
started brightly and moved into a 7 / 3 first game lead before Duncalf
managed to slot in a more effective length to edge back. However, after
three game balls Waters was home. The second was very much shorter as
Waters picked up the pace, took the ball early, slotted in wrenching
boasts and seemed to really discomfort Duncalf.
The high octane approach couldn't be maintained in the third, with Waters
finding herself stretching on the wings at h back more. Rallies were
lengthy but Duncalf was nosing ahead. The game was taken with a rasping
straight drive and Duncalf was still in the picture. The next act of what
turned out to be a four act play was the one where both characters fight
to the death.
Waters drew first blood by moving 5/3 up, but Duncalf was fighting back
strongly and eventually levelled at seven all before an agonising drop
took the North London girl to match ball. Duncalf saved, riposted with a
rolling back wall nick to go to setting and had a game ball at 9/8 which
agonisingly hit the top of the tin.
Now Waters was hanging and finding a crucial drive to get to match ball,
which she took with an exquisite length on the forehand.
Waters continues to confound the seedings and now competes with Perry for
a final place. Whether the currently friendly mums sit together for the
match remains to be seen!
|
|
Jaclyn Hawkes enjoys the
view ... |
Violaine from Monaco
Yesterday, I've been to the cinema to watch Star Wars ... no actually
I've been to the Stadium to watch the first round but the result is the
same ... After couple of hours watching great games, I stopped trying to
analyze the game and just enjoyed the show with great pleasure.
During the qualification, I was watching it with the eye of a squash
player who wants to improve in order to become a good player. Now, let's
be realistic, that's not the same sport, not the same planet. Players
from qualification are great players, players from the main draw are
outstanding players. Jenny Duncalf is magic ... squash seems so easy
when you watch her, I can't wait to watch her play with Alison Waters
(who is hitting the ball so hard !!!!).
I was not lucky enough to watch Vanessa Atkinson and Isabelle Stoehr but
just looking at the score makes you wonder ...
Orla and Suzie are great players, played really well on the two first
days ... how is it just possible to play even better ? Probably lots of
work and lots of talent. Even if I know that this level is more than out
of reach, every year it has the same effect on me, I want to practice
more and to find where is my edge.
Thanks a lot for that to all the Girls!
Violaine Del
Ponte
|
09-Nov, Round One:
Seeds Safely Through in Monaco
WISPA reports from Monaco
Five of the main draw of the Monte Carlo Classic had not been to the
Principality of Monaco before. Two would now have free time for
sightseeing having been beaten as the first round was played out.
Jaclyn Hawkes and Sarah Kippax would now have the chance to
climb the steps to the Palace, enjoy the stunning views and walk the
streets that stage the Formula 1 spectacle and generally enjoy their
surroundings. Meanwhile, UK trio Tania Bailey, Jenny Duncalf
and Madeline Perry will need to practice and prepare for their
quarter finals having seen off first round opponents.
It is perhaps surprising that three of the top eight had not played in the
event before despite it being the 10th anniversary this year, (the WISPA
player tally so far is 114); but so far the visit is proving successful
for them. Indeed, the whole of the seeded group won through to the
quarters.
Bailey beat improving Kiwi Hawkes, who had already taken the chance to
sample the delights of the commanding views from the Palace. She relocated
to Paderborn in Germany a few weeks ago to improve her competitive
opportunities and the diet of playing against local men is certainly
helping her competitiveness. However, Bailey has enjoyed a long spell of
good health and has become a feature of the world top ten again.
Carrot coloured coiffured Annelize Naude, will face Bailey in the
quarters as he eased past the challenge of Line Hansen on a wave of drops
from anywhere and general court coverage. The Dane was kept firmly under
control and was disappointed with her own performance. 'We normally have
good games but today I got dragged into hers and I couldn't get started,”
she confessed. However, she was more upbeat on things generally due to her
Federation having appointed Italian international Francisco Busi as
Danish National coach and giving her more support in coaching and
preparation in her home city of Odense.
Top seed Vanessa Atkinson started her campaign to win the title for
the first time with a straightforward victory over Orla Noom. The younger
player was chasing shadows, albeit gamely. She strikes the ball well and
is likely to make inroads into the upper reaches of the rankings soon, but
this was all about the experience. As she said afterwards, 'Vanessa makes
you work so hard. Front, back, everywhere!”
Atkinson will now play sixth seed and French hope Isabelle Stoehr
who gave away about a foot in height but little else to Suzie Pierrepont.
The English qualifier volleys strongly and has great reach, but experience
counts for so much too and the racketwork of Stoehr was decisive.
In the bottom half Laura Lengthorn reached her third Monte Carlo
quarter slot in as many years, but will now need to beat fourth seed
Madeline Perry to better her record. In this round her assured control
was too much for thatched hair Dutch qualifier Karen Kronemeyer ...
perhaps there is something in the Netherlands water that causes outbreaks
of hair histrionics! Perry found opponent Dominique Lloyd-Walter on song
initially; indeed she could have taken the first had she not succumbed to
a few injudicious shots at the end, but was eventually pulled too far
around the court for comfort.
Pamela Nimmo would surely have preferred a less in form opponent that
seventh seed Alison Waters. After a first game that was somewhat
tentative by both players, Waters cut down the errors in the second and
began to impose her will on the match. Her prize is a match against second
seed Jenny Duncalf instead of projected opponent Linda Elriani, who
withdraw after her leg injury had failed to respond to treatment, causing
a shuffling of the seeding pack.
Duncalf beat Sarah Kippax in four games to take her berth, giving her
squash brain a rest in the second and peppering the tin. However, Kippax
continued to exhibit growing confidence in her ability and came away happy
with her showing.
It is now down to two Dutch and one French and five from the British Isles
to fight for semi final places in the Principality ...
|
FIRST ROUND
[1] Vanessa Atkinson (Ned) bt
Orla Noom (Ned)
9/6, 9/0, 9/0 (23m)
[6] Isabelle Stoehr (Fra) bt
Suzie Pierrepont (Eng)
9/3, 9/5, 9/5 (31m)
[3] Tania Bailey (Eng) bt
Jaclyn Hawkes (Nzl)
9/7, 9/4, 9/3 (32m)
[5] Annelize Naude (Ned) bt
Line Hansen (Den)
9/2, 9/3, 9/3 (28m)
[8] Laura Lengthorn (Eng) bt
Karen Kronemeyer (Ned)
9/5, 9/5, 9/6 (41m)
[4] Madeline Perry (Irl) bt
Dominique Lloyd-Walter (Eng)
9/5, 9/1, 9/4 (37m)
[7] Alison Waters (Eng) bt
Pamela Nimmo (Sco)
9/7, 9/2, 9/4 (35m)
[2] Jenny Duncalf (Eng) bt
Sarah Kippax (Eng)
9/3, 3/9, 9/1, 9/3 (38m)
FULL DRAW
Stoehr
sizes up Suzie
Blake
boosts Hansen |
|
|
|
Dutch Watchers: Karen
Kronemeyer, Annelize Naude and Vanessa Atkinson cheer on Orla Noom |
|
Qualifying Finals:
Sarah Kippax (Eng) bt Kirsty McPhee (Eng)
9/0, 9/4, 10/8 (27m) plays Duncalf
Karen Kronemeyer (Ned) bt Camille Serme (Fra)
4/9, 9/5, 9/0, 9/2 (36m) plays Lengthorn
Orla Noom (Ned) bt Aisling Blake (Irl)
9/1, 7/9, 10/8, 9/2 (47m) plays Atkinson
Suzie Pierrepont (Eng) bt Daniela Schumann (Ger) 9/6, 9/1,
9/2 (28m) plays Stoehr
|
08-Nov, Qualifying Finals:
Stade Louis Survivors
enter main draw
WISPA reports from Monaco
The last phase of the battle to join the main draw of the Monte Carlo
Classic took place on the courts of the Monte Carlo Squash Club nestling
beneath the soccer pitch of the impressive Stade Louis II Stadium.
English Advance
Sarah Kippax, now ranked 48 in the
world was first through, defeating fellow English girl Kirsty Mcphee;
the 20 year old loser from squash hotbed Pontefract left to rue a third
that appeared to be hers when she had hoisted herself from 5/1 down to 8/6
up. The one game ball was missed, as was her main draw slot.
Top seed Suzie Pierrepont had clearly caught up with her sleep
after a rushed arrival from the US Open, and dominated Daniela Schumann
in height and range. Twenty year old Schumann, from Kiel, is currently in
the German army doing national service, and though she came through a
survival course recently, she wasn't able to handle living with Pierrepont
after a bright start.
Noom provides Double Dutch
Meanwhile, fourth seed Karen Kronemeyer found sixteen year
old Camille Serme a harder proposition than expected. The
schoolgirl from Paris already has a well developed all-round game, good
enough to take a lead before the Dutch team player started to exert some
authority and stretch her opponent more via some astute attacking play.
Commenting afterwards Kronemeyer was quick to praise her opponent. “She
was very consistent and certainly took me by surprise. She has got the
potential to have a great future”, she said of Serme.
Last person into the main draw was Orla Noom, to provide a Dutch
double – and it was perhaps no surprise that she then drew Dutch top seed
Vanessa Atkinson in the first round! But it was never easy for her against
regular training partner Aisling Blake who is based in Netherlands.
While the Irish girl made too many errors during a slightly nervy first,
she began to settle into her neat game late in the second and picked up
from 7/1 down to snatch it. The third required the left hander from
Haarlem to convert her third game ball before she could open up a lead,
from which she closed out the match in 47 minutes.
 Delighted
with her success Noom said that her win stemmed in part from an
inspirational conversation with former star Liz Irving.
“Liz told me that when she started on the Tour she relaxed and just tried
to enjoy herself and I have started to try it. I am learning not to be so
nervous about ranking points and it certainly worked today”.
Whether it will be enough to carry her home against the top seed tomorrow
is more problematic!.
|
DRAW & RESULTS
The magnificent Stade Louis
setting
Hi fram,
I had the chance to have a bye in the first round, I then lost
against Kronemeyer. I did win the first game 9/3, but after that,
my legs felt pretty heavy, probably due to my three tournaments in
a row. She was clever and kept on wrong footing me...
Disappointed, but it was a really good experience.
Now, rest.
Lots of x
Camille
Serme
|
|
A Hard Choice in Monte Carlo
Violaine Del Ponte reports
 Hard
choice, with two games at the same time, which one will I watch ? Well I
must say I let my heart decide and was not disappointed ... Camille
Serme against Karen Kronemeyer.
Camille really impressed me in the first game. Last time I watched her was
nearly one year ago and already then I could see she was a great player
but to watch her play against a matching level opponent was delightful.
After the first game, for one moment I thought she would win but then
Karen changed her game and started to change pace all the time, lob,
followed by powerful drives and the winning shot of the match an amazing
boast that she used a lot but with great success.
Clearly Camille felt a bit tired after Paris but I already raised that
yesterday ... I understand why the girls played in Paris last weekend,
they don't have many opportunities to earn some money and some points on
the French Circuit but I'm sure it would have been better for everybody if
that competition had been a week before or after !
  Second
match : Aisling Blake against Orla Noom (which I chose because
Aisling was my teammate three years ago and she is a sound girl ).
First game went really quickly and Orla showed everybody that she has
really improved in the last year. After it was really a weird game, Orla
taking the lead, Aisling fighting back ... Probably the difference between
them was that Orla played a lot of decisive shots and Aisling never seemed
to be able to finish the rally with a winner.
Violaine Del
Ponte |
07-Nov, Qualifying Round One:
Last Minute Shuffles
in Monte Carlo
WISPA reports from Monaco
Linda's Late Pull-out
The withdrawal of Linda Elriani, the second seed for the Monte Carlo
Classic, just hours before the start of qualification caused some last
minute adjustments to both the main and qualification draws.
In both cases
seeds moved up in bands, and in the case of the qualification, the top
seed Line Hansen from Denmark was elevated to the main draw.
Elriani was making a comeback after the calf injury that she sustained in
early September, but intensive treatment after a setback last week and a
failed fitness test during the weekend meant putting back her date of
return to the WISPA Tour.
Kippax Profits in Opener
 When the print on the new draws had dried it left the new second seed
Sarah Kippax to successfully lead off proceedings with a straight games
win over Czech Lucie Fialova, while her fellow Englishwoman Kirsty McPhee
was finding the tin too attractive and her opponent Milja Dorenbos a
handful too.
It was only when she cut down on the cross courts and the
errors that she clawed back the two game deficit to beat the Dutchwoman in
a smidgen over one hour.
French flounder ...
Of the four French girls in the draw, only Camille Serme came
through....via a bye! She had moved up into the seedings and none of the
reserves could reach the Principality in time.
Laurence Bois went down to
Netherlands based Karen Kronemeyer, while another Dutch player, Orla Noom
managed to overturn the seedings taking out Celia Allamargot.
There was also a Dutch loser as Dagmar Vermeulen couldn't dent the mature
play of Irish number two Aisling Blake.
Pierrepont's unlucky break
The third French player, Soraya Renai, was despatched by the new top seed
Suzie Pierrepont. The English winner at the Rollpak Goshen Open a week ago
had sneaked into the US Open main draw as a lucky loser only to find that
her first round match was on the second day.
Having lost she couldn't get
out of Boston to the following evening and so landed in Gatwick at
breakfast time to connect with her flight to the French Riviera in time to
land only a few hours before her match.
|
Qualifying Results
WISPA here in
Monaco ...
Violaine Del Ponte reports
It's 17h30? I run out of my office direction Squash Club to watch the
first round of the qualifications. Unfortunately, I missed Sarah Kippax's
game but watching her practicing on Sunday was really impressive!
I'm just on time to see Kirsty McPhee going back on the game and
fighting like a lion to win that game ... it's a shame that she'll be
playing with Sarah today, they probably both deserved to qualify...
Another surprise, Corinne Castets withdrew only on monday ... a
phone call on sunday might have allowed reserve player like Sonia Pasteris
to rush to Monaco. It also raised a question : is it smart to play a
competition in Paris the day before qualification? Shouldn't a WISPA event
be more protected datewise ? A national the day before and a team game the
same week ... that's a lot when you consider the amount of professional
players .
Well let's go back to the games I've watched with great pleasure (and
sometimes a bit of disappointment).
Aisling Blake had an easy game not because her opponent was weaker
than her but because she made it easy for herself by playing a really
smart squash. It teaches a lot to watch her play: take the ball the
earliest you can and don't take too much risk ... that will lead your
opponent to struggle.
Celia Allamargot's game now. I still haven't understand what
happened. She gave the two first games to her opponent Orla Noom,
hitting the tin so often in the first game and losing her temper. Once she
calmed down, she won the third and I thought she would build up from there
to win the match but she probably lost too much energy in the two first.
Shame because she's a talented player and probably would have deserved
better. Good luck for the next WISPA.
Last game of the day : Soraya Renai against Suzie Pierrepont.
I must say that the score doesn't reflect the game I've seen. Soraya
fought hard and she has nothing to be ashamed of. Suzie played a really
steady game with no mistakes and just proved too strong for young french
players.
Please remember that squash is a lot about experience and all the best
players are around 30 so keep going you're on the good way and for an
"amateur" like me it's always a pleasure to watch you play.
Violaine Del
Ponte
|
|
|
Monte
Carlo Classic
2005
07-12 Nov, Monaco, $31k |
Round One
Nov 09 |
Quarters
Nov 10 |
Semis
Nov 11 |
Final
Nov 12 |
[1]
Vanessa Atkinson (Ned)
9/6, 9/0, 9/0 (23m)
[Q] Orla Noom (Ned) |
Vanessa Atkinson
9/2, 9/0, 9/2 (24m)
Isabelle Stoehr |
Vanessa Atkinson
9/4, 9/4, 9/7 (45m)
Tania Bailey |
Vanessa Atkinson
9/2 9/5 9/7 (42m)
Madeline Perry |
[6]
Isabelle Stoehr (Fra)
9/3, 9/5, 9/5 (31m)
[Q] Suzie Pierrepont (Eng) |
[3] Tania
Bailey (Eng)
9/7, 9/4, 9/3 (32m)
Jaclyn Hawkes (Nzl) |
Tania Bailey
9/0, 9/3, 4/9, 9/1 (41m)
Annelize Naude |
[5] Annelize Naude (Ned)
9/2, 9/3, 9/3 (28m)
Line Hansen (Den) |
[Q] Karen
Kronemeyer (Ned)
9/5, 9/5, 9/6 (41m)
[8] Laura Lengthorn (Eng) |
Laura Lengthorn
9/3, 5/9, 9/5, 9/6 (75m)
Madeline Perry |
Madeline Perry
10/8, 9/3, 9/7 (52m)
Alison Waters |
Dominique
Lloyd-Walter (Eng)
9/5, 9/1, 9/4 (37m)
[4] Madeline Perry (Irl) |
Pamela Nimmo (Sco)
9/7, 9/2, 9/4 (35m)
[7] Alison Waters (Eng) |
Alison Waters
9/7, 9/1, 6/9, 10/9 (56m)
Jenny Duncalf |
[Q] Sarah
Kippax (Eng)
9/3, 3/9, 9/1, 9/3 (38m)
[2] Jenny Duncalf (Eng) |
|
|
Qualifying:
Finals, 08-Nov:
Sarah Kippax (Eng)
bt Kirsty McPhee (Eng)
9/0, 9/4, 10/8 (27m)
Karen Kronemeyer (Ned) bt Camille Serme (Fra)
4/9, 9/5, 9/0, 9/2 (36m)
Orla Noom (Ned) bt Aisling Blake (Irl)
9/1, 7/9, 10/8, 9/2 (47m)
Suzie Pierrepont (Eng) bt Daniela Schumann (Ger) 9/6,
9/1, 9/2 (28m)
First Round, 07-Nov:
Sarah Kippax (Eng) bt Lucie Fialova (Cze)
9/2 9/2 9/2 (22m)
Kirsty McPhee (Eng) bt Milja Dorenbos (Ned)
4/9 4/9 9/5 9/2 9/4 (62m)
Karen Kronemeyer (Ned) bt Laurence Bois (Fra) 9/2
9/1 9/7 (28m)
Camille Serme (Fra)
bye
Orla Noom (Ned) bt Celia Allamargot (Fra)
9/2 9/3 4/9 9/0 (32m)
Aisling Blake (Irl) bt Dagmar Vermeulen (Ned)
9/2 9/2 9/4 (23m)
Daniela Schumann (Ger)
bye
Suzie Pierrepont (Eng) bt Soraya Renai (Fra)
9/1 9/5 9/0 (23m)
|
 "I
am very disappointed to have to pull out of the Monte Carlo Classic,
I was very much hoping that my injury would be okay by now, but it
seems that I need another couple of weeks to hopefully get it right
for the Qatar Classic and World Open.
"I’ll miss playing Monte Carlo, as any player who has played it
knows that we are always looked after so well and welcomed by the
local enthusiasts.
"The venue and hotel are great, right next to an amazing harbour. I
have great memories from my last visit as I managed to win it.
"They've even increased the prize money this year which is fantastic
and much appreciated by the players.
"Hopefully I’ll be back to play it next year."
Linda Elriani |
|
|
"I
fell apart and made too many errors. I was impatient and not
building rallies but in the third I did at least rally it out,
even though I made a few mistakes at the wrong time.
"I
went too short too soon and it doesn't work against the very
top players. I aimed too low and hit the tin too often
before I played more sensibly in the third."
